The voices could then be heard agreeing with each other.
“I agree. He’s just a noble flaunting his title and wealth. The origin and quality of the goods are expected to be top tier? Is that necessary for someone with such dirty blood?”
“Hush, be careful what you say. What if someone hears us?”
“The deal fell through anyways so what does it matter? Facts are facts.”
“You never know when we will have another opportunity to do business here. Killiard is a large fiefdom after all. If we were able to strike a deal, not only will it make traveling to the north easier, it will also bring in a large sum of money. There’s no harm in having a bit of caution.”
It didn’t matter anymore though. Their conversation had already been overheard by someone else. They may have thought she wouldn’t be able to hear due to the distance, but unfortunately, Elaine’s hearing was extremely good.
“Huh? Dame Elaine! Are you just getting back?”
Lowell, who had spotted Elaine, stopped to say hello. Then Elaine, with a stern expression, approached him.
“Yes. Who are those people?”
“The carriage with the two men was pulling away. Elaine’s eyes were fierce as she watched it leave.
“Ah, those people? They are the top executives of Ott.”
“Ott executives?”
“What, didn’t you hear about it before? We are renovating all of the public facilities. We wanted to buy the materials in bulk, but the quality they offered wasn’t very good.”
Lowell rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head.
“I had just let them know we would not be making a deal with them and they left. I had only contacted the nearest merchant, but I think I’ll need to look into other options now.”
Elaine recalled what the man had said a moment ago.
‘Just a noble flaunting his title and wealth. Origin and quality… Is that necessary for someone with such dirty blood?”
Normally is was natural to check the quality of the goods before making a large purchase. It was also natural that if the quality of the goods was low, the deal would fall through.
Why was it now such a big deal when it was Ash? Why was he criticized for having high standards? Why did his origins have to be brought up all the time?
Was it because he was the child of the witch who caused so much destruction? If that was the case, who should they really be angry with? She would tear apart the lies and show them the truth clearly.
For her to do that, there was somewhere she needed to go. A place that holds the key to the secret of the subjugation that happened 20 years ago. These thoughts flowed through her mind as she watched the carriage travel further and further away.
Some time passed and spring came into full bloom. Her opportunity presented itself faster than she had expected.
***
Fred, the top executive of Ott, raised his voice, extremely drunk.
“Come on, let’s drink! I’m in a foul mood because of the deal today. Let’s change the mood!”
“Yeah!”
Charles, his partner, was also very drunk and clinked his glass noisily.
A few hours ago, they had been on their way back from Killiard after their deal had fallen through. Since the deal was off, they just wanted to get back as quickly as possible so they had chosen to take a shortcut through the forest. They had already been traveling for a while so they decided to take a break. They sat down and before they knew it, it had turned into a drinking session.
“I can’t believe they turned down a deal with the top executives of Ott. What were they thinking?”
“Just think of it as steeping on dog poop.”
Their guards interjected a couple of words. Of course, they weren’t drinking, but there was nothing better than joining in on the fun of gossiping about the Duke of Killiard. But it was now time to go back.
“We should probably get going now. The sun will be setting soon.”
The veteran guard spoke to the two executives, trying to persuade them. The forest path wasn’t necessarily rough, but it was quite deep. When the sun went down, it was possible to meet mountain animals or monsters. But the two men remained steadfast.
“It’s a shortcut anyways, it’ll be quick. We still have time for a little more.”
“Its so nice out, the air is cool and refreshing!”
It seems that they would not be able to return early. In the end, the guards gave up trying to persuade them and turned back to guard the men.
“Hey, Sirs!”
One of the guards who had gone to the carriage a little while ago came rushing back in a hurry.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s- The carriage!”
Something seened unusual and they rushed toward the carriage. When they arrives, theuir eyes widened in surprise.
“What is that…”
“What happened to the wheels?”
The wheels of the carriage they had been riding in were broken. It wasn’t just the carriage either. The wheels of the crats and the wagons were broken as well.
“Who did this!”
“What on earth were the guards doing!”
The two men quickly sobered up and began yelling, but it was no use blaming the guards. In the first place, they had only brought a few guards because the distance to Killiard was not very far. Also, some of the guards had been removed from their posts in order to watch over their drunken employers.
It had happened in the blink of an eye, like the work of a ghost. There were only the two of them around and the guard had only left for a very short time. It could have been bandits, but none of their luggage or the goods in the carts had gone missing. Because the wheels were broken, the carriages could no longer be driven. The horses that had been resting also seemed uneasy, sensing the tension in the air.
“W-what should we do?”
In the end, they had no choice but to wait for someone to pass by, or for someone in their group to walk to town to ask for help. Even if it was a shortcut, it would still take a long time to reach the edge of the forest and if they were really unlucky, they could even encounter an animal or a monster.
The wind that had felt nice and cool just a moment ago, turned harsh as the sun went down. Then, they saw lightning strike. What kind of lightning strikes in a dry sky? Then, upon further inspection, you could see dark clouds starting to cover the sky. They were truly unlucky.
***
The royal city of Hebron. A large hall with gorgeous chandeliers and delicious food. A variety of topics were being discussed by the nobles who were attending the party, including the latest trends, cultural knowledge and the political situation in the royal capital. Among those topics, the stories about the one and only crown prince was always a popular one.
“His Highness Michael has taken on a new business this time.”
“Yes, it is a project to improve the capital’s roads, I heard its going quite smoothly, too.”
“Didn’t the construction project with Count MacLeay have good results as well?”
“That’s right. They say that the road construction project was also entrusted to him by His Majesty himself after he had distinguished himself at the Great Nobles Meeting.”
“Indeed, he is the future sun of the empire, isn’t he?”
“We truly are blessed.”
“He is a role model for the whole empire.”
In fact, the crown prince’s actions that they were listing weren’t that outstanding. Anyone would be able to accomplish them if they had enough connections and money. However, the people still praised Michael endlessly. This is because he was the only heir to the throne so it was certain he would inherit it in the future.
“With such a bright future for the country, it’s no wonder the people are able to sleep peacefully. It’s all thanks to His Majesty’s grace, but…”
At that time, one of the nobles who had been praising him suddenly looked around and spoke.
“Have you heard the recent news from the East?”
Immediately, some of the noblewomen fanned themselves, covering their mouths.
“Oh, that…”
“You mean the news about the Knights of Philres?”
“That’s right, there have been a lot of rumors about them these days.”
“I’ve been hearing them as well. I heard they defeated a dangerous high-level monster?”
“Oh my gosh, a high-level monster… I had heard their knights were great, but it really wasn’t a lie.”
“They say the entire order is made up of masters. Moreover, the Duke of Killiard is the best swordsman in the kingdom.”
“Oh, by the way, didn’t the Duke’s abandoned mine development project turn out successful?”
“The wheat distribution project in the East was also amazing. I heard they are also trying to branch out into the mining industry these days.”
In no time, the conversation had shifted smoothly to discuss Ash.
“I’ve felt this way since he saved Killiard, but his talent really is truly terrifying.”
“Birthright aside, isn’t he quite impressive?”
“That’s right.”
Because of Ash’s background, everyone looked down on him, but that didn’t mean that they could completely ignore his presence. Even now his influence was growing day by day.
“It’s a bit hard to say this, but honestly, in terms of ability, he’s better than His Highness Michael…”
Naturally, there was a name that always followed his, that of Crown Prince Michael. They were of similar age, with only a couple of years difference. Moreover, if Lloyd de Phillion had been alive, the Crown Prince would have been Ash and not Michael. Therefore, when the conversation turned in this direction, it often happened that the two of them were compared.
Of course, all those words reached Michael’s ears.
Clang!
Michael roughly opened the door and left the room with a nervous expression. He picked up a glass of cold water on the table and gulped it down. The guard who quickly followed behind him bowed his head as he spoke.
“Your Highness, don’t worry about it too much.”
“Don’t worry about it?”
Michael frowned and shouted as he placed the glass back onto the table.
“How can I not worry about this?!”
Ash. How could he not care that the people we daring to compare him to that vulgar bastard.
“Besides, who is better than whom?”
That alone was already unpleasant enough, but what he had heard made him even more upset.
He ground his teeth loudly.
“It was just the idle chatter of ignorant fools.”
The man bowed his head again.
“Look at the people outside. No matter how loud it is now, it will only last for a moment. He is already considered an enemy by the entire nation. How could you worry yourself because of someone like that?”
“…”
“Above all, isn’t Your Highness the Crown Prince of this nation?”
Yes, he was. That guy, no matter how far he flew or crawled, he would always be beneath him. He was meant to be the ruler of this country, more noble than anyone else, and Ash was the child of a witch, he would be criticized until his death. It was a fact that would never change.
‘But, we still need to get rid of this annoying noise.’
Michael leisurely sat back on the sofa, expression much calmer. Then he crossed his legs and stroked his gorgeous blond hair. He was considering his options and would soon show the difference between them clearly. He just happened to have the perfect means to do so, as well.
Michael raised the corner of his mouth in a sly smile.
